~~ Elena ~~
"I can hear your heartbeat, you know. There's no need to be quite so nervous. She'd have my head if she came back and found her adopted daughter had died from fright. And you didn't look quite so frightened the first time we met."
"Yeah, well, then I didn't know that you were married to my mother, thus creating a very strange relationship between us that I'm not willing to acknowledge quite yet. Or that your healers would drug me. You just did it to get me to keep quiet, didn't you? So that I wouldn't blab about everything we'd talked about."
An innocent look. "I don't know what you're talking about. You were given the standard tonic for all who become victims to the spiders because of your severe reaction. That it is also a sedative is merely a side effect, and was administered without my direct orders. I fully trusted you not to reveal that I was, in fact, planning on aiding you in escaping my dungeons."
A disbelieving stare, arms crossed stubbornly. "Uh-huh. I'm telling Mom that you drugged me when she gets here. And that you locked up my friends for no reason and wouldn't let us leave."
The individual seated on the throne sighed and rested his forehead on his hand, closing his eyes wearily as they once again rehashed this conversation. "I already told you why I couldn't just let you leave. The Feast of Starlight will commence on the morrow, and thus set up a feasible opportunity for you to escape without raising questions that should not yet be answered. I have already made plans that will allow you and your... hidden friend... a chance to retrieve your weapons when you do so. I trust you still do not plan on revealing who he is, quite yet?"
Elena smirked at the irritated look on Thranduil's face when he mentioned her hidden friend. "Not a chance. He could still come in handy later on. In fact, for all I know, he could be listening in on this conversation, and neither of us would know. So don't say anything you don't want him knowing," she teased.
Thranduil's face became a disapproving glare. "Do not test me, Lady Elena. Being a randir, and the mell hên of my wife may grant you many liberties I would not allow others, but I will not tolerate a potential threat to my people, not matter how safe you might deem them to be."
Elena threw her hands up in the air in surrender immediately, backing off as the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees. "All right, all right. Sheesh. I highly doubt that he'd be listening in on your conversations or anything, anyways. He's just looking for a way out. And the only threat he could possibly pose would most likely be either if you threatened me, or to your kitchens."
Thranduil suddenly smirked, his icy demeanor quickly fading. "Yes, I have received reports of small amounts of food vanishing from the kitchen, although it has since been attributed to someone wandering through. I trust you and your friends have been eating enough as well?"
Elena nodded, sitting cross-legged on the floor and leaning back on her hands. "They were a bit skeptical at first, wondering if it was poisoned, or something like that, but they ate it. They may be the stubbornest dwarves to walk this planet, but they eat like them, too. And before you ask, my symptoms are completely gone. Which is a relief."
Thranduil nodded. "That is... a relief to hear." He saw the surprised look on her face and chuckled. "Did you think that I would not care that you were recovering? Aside from the matter that you are our prisoner, and so under our care, you are a randir, sent by the Valar to aid us. I will not bring their wrath upon me by failing to aid you. Further, Queen Aredhel has taken you to be her kin. I would face a far worse fate by her hands should she find out I treated you unkindly." He smirked. "And besides. I rather enjoy your quick wit and lack of prejudice. It's quite refreshing."
"You know, everyone's always just accepted the fact that we're randir incredibly quickly," Elena mused. "Why is that? You'd think people would be more skeptical about people claiming to be from another world, and claiming to know the future."
Thranduil shook his head dismissively. "The title of randir cannot be claimed by those who have no right," he informed her. "The servants of evil are incapable of claiming a title of light, and there are those of us, such as the wizards or some of the higher elves, who have the capability of sensing the gate's magic upon you. It distinguishes you from the rest of your kin. Were someone foolish enough to impersonate a randir, they would quickly face the wrath of the Valar. They do not take such an offense lightly."
"That makes sense, I guess," Elena agreed, chewing on her lip as she thought. "If I gave a special gift to certain people to be used for good, and others began claiming it for selfish or wicked reasons, I'd be pretty mad, too."
"Indeed." Thranduil's face was solemn, but his eyes danced wickedly as he stood with a grace that Elena could never hope to achieve. "But come. It is time we return you to your friends. I am sure that they are coming up with all sorts of nefarious reasons I may have for taking you for questioning once again."
Elena grinned and got to her feet, wiping off her dusty tunic with a grimace. "Yeah, but it was kind of fun seeing their faces yesterday. Should I be all tight-lipped again? Completely unafraid? Boastful?"
Thranduil raised one robed hand and waved it gracefully in the air. "Whatever you wish. I am sure that my desires will have no bearings on your decisions. Step outside the door and Tauriel will take you back to your cell."
"I don't know about that, Your Majesty," Elena said, looking back at him with a twinkle in her eyes as she halted by the door. "Mom always told us to respect our elders. So I promise to at least consider them before dismissing them completely."
He shook his head, a small smile gracing his features for a brief moment before it faded to the cool exterior he normally displayed. "I'd forgotten what it was like to have a child around here once my son became of age. How old are you, anyways?"
Elena snorted. "Haven't you ever heard that you're not supposed to ask a lady her age? I'm... I don't know, actually. I've lived around twenty-two years, or so, but as best as we can figure out, I'm closer to around seventy-five years of age in dwarf years."
There was a quiet sound that might have been a quick intake of air, but his face remained impassive. "You are young, then. Not even of age. And your younger sister even more so. It is a heavy burden you both must bear."
Elena was quiet for a minute, before saying softly, "In our opinions, it's worth it. It's always been worth it." She leaned forward slightly, inclining her head in a quick version of a bow before slipping out of the room, where Tauriel waited patiently outside. She studied the dwarf curiously before beginning their trek back to the dungeons.
"The King seems very interested in you," she commented once they were away from the other guards, curiosity evident in her tone. She had been the one to escort Elena every time she spoke with the king, and they had spoken briefly several times while they journeyed, and were now fairly friendly acquaintances.
Elena shrugged. "I've been trying to win him over to our side."
The red-headed elleth blinked at her. "Your side?"
Elena nodded seriously. "I'm hoping to convince him to run away and join the dwarves. I thought about asking Prince Legolas, but considering the fact that I think I got him in trouble, he probably wouldn't like me."
Tauriel gave vent to a snort that was extremely unladylike. "You are... most likely not wrong. He was not particularly thrilled about the conversation he had with his father regarding his interactions with the dwarves. But I believe he is also somewhat... intrigued. Long has it been since a dwarrowdam has been seen outside of Erebor, and longer still since one has entered our halls."
She glanced down at the brunette, her eyes dancing with mischief. "Willingly or otherwise." A brief smile touched her lips. "To find one traveling in the company of Thorin Oakenshield, in the direction of Erebor, it is..." she struggled to find a word, then eventually settled for one. "Interesting."
Elena felt a grin spread across her face. "That's interesting. I wonder if he'll ever find out what's really going on."
Tauriel raised an eyebrow at her. "Indeed. I wonder the same about myself."
Elena shrugged innocently as Tauriel opened the door to the dungeons. "I guess I couldn't say. You seem like a great person. Maybe you will find out some day. Stay cool, Tauriel," she said as she walked into her cell and turned around to face her, saluting with a grin.
Tauriel raised an eyebrow at the farewell as she made sure the door was shut. "I shall endeavor to do so. Enjoy yourself until my next visit." Her tone was cool, but her eyes were bright as she smiled at Elena before striding back up the stairs, where Legolas had descended to wait for her, his face stern as he glanced past her to Elena, who waved cheekily at him before settling back to ignore him.
Fíli was standing impatiently by the door, looking worried. "Why do they keep taking you for interrogation?" he asked tensely as soon as Tauriel was gone. "They haven't taken Thorin since the first day, but they've taken you all three days we've been here."
Elena raised an eyebrow. "That may have something to do with the fact that I haven't burned all my bridges with Thranduil yet." Fíli wrinkled his nose at the unfamiliar saying, and she explained. "I haven't been explicit in my insults, and neither has he. We've basically been acting like diplomats who don't like each other, but have to keep it polite." She grinned. "That, and I suppose the fact that I've been selling you all out helps, too."
Fíli just stared at her for a minute, his eyes narrowing in concentration, and some of the jokes the others had been tossing around died as silence fell. She met his gaze with her innocent one for as long as she could hold it up before she gave in and burst out laughing, Thorin rolling his eyes as she did so.
"The looks on your faces! Yes, of course I'm planning on telling Thranduil everything. We're dwarves, and we're journeying to Erebor, and we got lost in the forest. Oh, and some of our family members are lost as well. But I'm pretty sure that he already knew that from Thorin. Quick side note, they haven't had any luck finding our siblings," she informed them, her eyes dimming for a moment as she thought of her still-missing sister. "They're still looking, but they don't even really know where to start since we don't know when we left the path."
Fíli groaned and sat down on his cot, clenching his fists in anger at the situation. "They've been missing for almost five days, now. Your sister was still asleep when we left, and who knows how much food they've got left. There should have been some sign of them, somewhere."
"Kíli's smart, and he's been trained in the making the best of a bad situation," Dwalin pointed out. "He may not show it very often, but he's got a good head on his shoulders. If they haven't wandered off the path by now, he'll keep them on it. And if Celia's awake by now, she should be able to help him, too. As for Bilbo - if there's anything I've learned on this trip, it's to not underestimate the halfling - hobbit," he corrected himself.
"And Ori's got skills of his own," Nori offered. "He just doesn't get the chance to show them very often due to someone watching him like a mother hen," he added pointedly, ignoring Dori's offended huff. "We're all allowed to be worried about them. But we should also trust them to be able to fend for themselves. I'd say the bigger problem here is how are we going to get out?"
"Well now, I might just be able to help with that problem," a familiar voice said. They all jumped at the unexpected noise, and looked around, but saw no sign of the previously missing hobbit. "Oh! Sorry about that." One minute, there was only empty air, and the next, Bilbo Baggins, a bit thinner than he used to be, and tired circles under his eyes, was standing right there in front of them. He stuffed something in his pocket and grinned at them. "Sorry about the wait, but I was looking for a way to escape. As it turns out, I might just have found a way."
There was a moment of startled silence, then the dwarves all began talking at once, asking Bilbo where he'd been, how he'd gotten in, how he'd managed to avoid capture, and it was all getting a bit loud until Thorin stood and abruptly shouted for silence.
"Do you want them to hear you?" he demanded, shaming them into silence before turning to the hobbit. "Bilbo, while it is a relief to see you unharmed, I must ask. How is it that you have thus escaped capture so far?"
Bilbo hemmed and hawed, fidgeting nervously with something in his pocket. Elena watched him curiously. As glad as she was to see him again, she wasn't sure what to think about the fact that the dwarves might be about to learn about the ring. Or not. It could really go either way, here.
"I may have found a magic ring on my travels," Bilbo admitted quietly at last, Thorin's eyes going wide with astonishment. "Hobbits are naturally sneaky and silent, and this enhances our abilities. It allows me to pass unseen when I wear it, but..." he frowned and stared at the ground, his eyes distant. "It tires me, and I do not like wearing it unless I have to. I don't believe that it was not created with good in mind, and I have been forced to wear it near constantly these last few days."
"But you are unharmed, correct?" Thorin demanded, brow furrowed as he scanned the hobbit, looking for signs of illness, or harm.
Bofur looked just as concerned, and Nori hid his expressions well, but there was at least a brief hint of worry - and interest at the mention of a magic ring - before he schooled his features. Elena exchanged a startled glance with Fíli, although she was sure they were both startled for different reasons, Bilbo's sudden reappearance aside.
Bilbo smiled wearily and nodded. "Well enough. It's been better now that I've discovered a possible way for us to escape. First though, is everyone here all right? I've tried to check on you as best I could, but I had to move often to dodge the guards, and I've been following Elena around more than anything."
He glanced down at her. "Speaking of that, do you happen to know why the King of the Greenwood has been speaking to you separately for the past few days? I've never been able to follow you, and his interest in you is a bit concerning, to be honest."
Elena grinned, happy to see him again, and waved a hand at him dismissively. "I've been great. Long story, I'll tell you later. Let's just say that he likes my ability to insult people politely. We hit it off, and spend most of our time together insulting each other. Although, he is, of course, duty-bound to question me about our quest. I usually just refuse to answer, or say something that doesn't actually answer the question at all."
"Ah, yes," Bilbo mused. "You and your sister used to be quite good at that, when you wished, back in the Shire." He sighed. "I don't suppose you happen to have heard anything about them?"
Elena shook her head regretfully. "Nothing. They're still looking, though. Hopefully they'll find them soon."
Bilbo raised an eyebrow. "Or not. It'd be a bit awkward if we escaped, and they got captured immediately after that."
"You keep mentioning a possible chance to escape," Thorin interjected before Elena could speak, and they could all tell he looked a bit impatient at having to wait, although he had been respectful and let him speak to Elena briefly. "But you seem uncertain of its feasibility. What is your plan?"
Bilbo sighed. "The Feast of Starlight is tomorrow, and I've overhead the jailer speaking several times with the King's butler, and I believe they plan on sampling a good deal of the wine tomorrow night. If all goes well, I should be able to put my skills to work, and relieve him of the keys to the cells. Most of the other elves should all be busy making merry at the feast, and I've discovered a way out, though it won't exactly be pleasant," he warned them.
"If it means we get out of this leaf-eater's dungeon, I'm all for it," Dwalin said gruffly. "We've been fed well enough, but if I never see green food again, it'll be too soon!"
Bilbo shrugged. "If it's any consolation, I might even be able to get ahold of your weapons again. Well, some of them, at least," he admitted. "I found the room where they placed everything they took from us, and I believe at least some of our weapons are still there." He glanced at the dwarf king. "There was no sign of Orcrist, however, Thorin. Sorry. I believe Prince Legolas acquired it once he requisitioned it from you.'
Thorin growled but shook his head. "I will recover it after we take Erebror. It would cause more trouble than it's worth to seek to take it back now. And your plan to escape - how, exactly, are we supposed to escape?"
Bilbo smiled. "How's your swimming?"
A loud clang from above made him flinch, and his fingers dove for his pocket, digging inside before he slipped something out and vanished, eliciting a startled cry from several of the dwarves. His bodiless voice hushed them before he went silent again, all of them waiting tensely as several armed guards descended with their food. One stood at the ready while the other opened their cell to hand them their food and water on the tray, before locking it securely again and moving on the next cell.
They glanced oddly at Dori, who was trying a bit too hard at acting innocent, but they spied nothing else wrong, and so let him be. Most of the others, Balin, Dwalin, Nori, and the Durins, all had at least some experience at keeping their expressions clear, and so drew no suspicions to themselves. They all waited impatiently for the elves to leave, and the moment the door shut behind the last of them, they hurried to the front of their cells again as Bilbo reappeared.
"That was fairly unpleasant," he sighed, sitting cross-legged on the ground. "It was a fair bit closer than I'd like to admit."
"By my beard, you weren't joking when you said it was a magic ring!" Bofur exclaimed, staring at the hobbit with wide eyes. "Where'd you find such a thing?"
Bilbo shrugged uncomfortably. "In the Misty Mountains, after I'd fallen. Thought it'd come in handy, and it has. It's gotten me out of more than a few tight spots while I wandered these halls, half afraid that I'd fall off one of those bridges at any minute."
"Bilbo," Elena said quietly, frowning as she watched her uncle. "How are you doing on food? I can't imagine you're able to get very much, living on the run like you are."
The hobbit wrinkled his nose. "I've been getting by, so don't worry," he assured her. "I've been able to snitch bits and pieces here and there from the kitchens, so I haven't been starving."
"No, just getting by with less food than you need," Thorin pointed out gruffly. He looked even less happy than he normally did as he gestured to the hobbit. "I am aware that you require more food than us to stay healthy, and if the belt on your waist is anything to go by, your meals have not been adequate." He sat down on the floor and shoved his tray towards the hobbit. "I have been fed more than enough, and there is enough here for us to share."
Bilbo automatically began to protest, but Thorin merely fixed him with a glare, and his protests died an immediate yet majestic death. His manners and upbringing kept him from snatching at the food offered to him immediately, but the way he nearly inhaled the bread and salad offered to him showed his hunger. His grateful smile immediately had Bofur offering half his food as well, while Óin demanded he come over for a check up as soon as he was done eating.
They spent the rest of the day formulating their plan and slowly feeding Bilbo their food, Nori and Dori sacrificing some of their meals as well and ignoring his protests. They were all feeling more light-hearted than they had been all week with the news of Bilbo's safety and escape plan, and a few jokes and tall tales were even tossed around.
They were further cheered when Elena recalled that their missing friends had all been wearing athelas, which, due to its assumed ability to wear down the river's enchantment, most likely had been able to at least partially protect them from the forest's enchantment itself.
"If it was able to help them, they probably stayed on the paths, and should end up in Lake-town, same as us," she declared, refusing to believe any other possibility. "In fact, they might even end up there before us, depending on where we were in the forest when we wandered off, and how long it takes them to travel."
Bilbo nodded. "Kíli will know to keep heading for Lake-town, on the off chance they're able to reunite with us, and Celia will hopefully be awake by now. If she is, she'll know to keep going to Lake-town as well. It's where we were planning on going after we got through the forest, so hopefully we'll be able to reunite there."
There was mumbled agreement from all of them before Bofur decided to regale them with the tale of the runaway prince, who eventually returned home, and lived happily ever after with his family, where his beard grew past his knees. It had gotten a few scoffs, but it had kept the mood light.
The next day, Thranduil had once again taken Elena for a meeting, though he merely warned her that that night would be their one chance at escape. He would ensure the jailer had access to plenty of alcohol, and handed her a small key with which she could escape her own cell should Bilbo fail to acquire the jailer's set, while he gave her directions to both the wine cellar, and the room where their belongings were held. He did tell her that she would most likely have to escape through the cellar into the river, and seek to make it to land from there, and warned her about the tracks of orcs and spiders that had been seen.
She nodded, then got to her feet and bowed. "If we never meet again, King Thranduil, know that it was a pleasure to do so, even if I am the only dwarf to say so."
He smirked. "Certainly you are the first to be a prisoner in my halls when you said so. But do be careful. Aredhel is likely to return soon, though I do not know when, and I believe she would like to see you when she does so." He surprised her by inclining his head in a bow. "May the Valar bless you on your journey, and may your path be bright. Until we meet again, Lady Elena, farewell."
She smiled, though something in her heart twinged at the last words. Should she meet Thranduil again, it would most likely be under far less positive circumstances. And they both knew it. Still, she returned the farewell, and slipped out of the room silently, Tauriel taking note of her pensive expression and keeping quiet as she returned her to her cell, where they all waited anxiously for nightfall.
But the only sign of Bilbo was him warning them that escape wouldn't be possible quite yet. Then, he'd vanished, leaving them alone to fret, while Elena fingered her key anxiously. Eventually, she laid down to go to sleep, electing to regain her energy while she had the chance, and managed to sleep for several hours before Fíli called softly to wake her up, having taken the same opportunity she had.
"I'll wager the sun's on the rise. It must be nearly dawn," Bofur said at last.
"We're never going to reach the mountain in time, are we?" Dori moaned in despair.
Bilbo suddenly appeared, a ring of keys held proudly aloft in his hand. "Not stuck in here you're not!" he announced. They all leapt to their feet, shouting excitedly before Bilbo shushed them. "There are guards nearby! It's part of what took me so long," he explained, unlocking Thorin's cell first and letting them out, one by one, though he made sure to give Elena a hug before he moved on to the next cell.
Dwalin chuckled gleefully, heading for the stairs. "The stairs!"
Bilbo shook his head immediately. "Not that way! Down here. There's another exit, they just never took you through that way. Follow me," he directed.
The dwarves glanced at each other, but Thorin shrugged and followed him, so they all did the same. They crept through the halls of the Woodland Realm, sneaking past all the guards, and waiting nervously while Bilbo snuck off, reappearing moments later with a stack of weapons.
"This was as much as I could grab before a guard noticed the open door and locked it. Elena, Glóin, Dwalin, your axes are in here, and I've got some of your knives, Fíli, but I'm almost certain that I haven't recovered all of them. Nori, I've got some of your weapons here as well, I'm sure."
There was a general chorus of approval for Bilbo before he shushed them once again, this time leading them down the wine cellar, past a table where two elves lay in a drunken slumber. Bilbo crept into the room, silently depositing his ring of keys back onto the belt of the jailer, while Elena followed after him, placing her key on the table before quickly rejoining the others. They stopped in a large room filled with empty wine barrels stacked sideways in the middle of the room, their lids stacked neatly off to the side.
"Everyone, climb into the barrels, quickly!" Bilbo ordered in a low voice.
"Are you mad?" Dwalin hissed. "They'll find us!"
Elena huffed, picking a barrel and clambering into it, glaring at them when they stared at her. "What? He's the one who got us out of those cells, and I'm sure he wouldn't just lead us down here without a plan. If any of you fancy going back in, just close the door when you leave so it doesn't lead back to us."
Fíli seemed to struggle with himself for a minute before giving in and crawling into a barrel next to her. "I've learned it's best not to argue in situations like these," he offered.
The others didn't seem quite so convinced, but a sudden commotion from above made up Thorin's mind. "All of you, into the barrels!" he snapped. They didn't seem any more convinced that Bilbo was sane, but a minute later, all of the dwarves were in the barrels, while Bilbo walked along and made sure they were all there.
"What do we do now?" Bofur asked, sticking his head out of his barrel.
"Hold your breath," Bilbo informed him.
Bofur frowned. "Hold my breath? What do you mean, hold my breath?"
Bilbo only grinned wolfishly in response, his Tookish side on full display as he pushed down the lever at the back of all the barrels. The floor they were on tilted and revealed a river beneath, eliciting startled yells as the dwarves and barrels crashed into the water, before the floor now above them shut again.
Elena chuckled, using her hands to stay in position while they waited for the hobbit. "How long do you think it'll take him to realize that he didn't come down with us?"
Apparently not long, as a moment later, he came shooting through with a cry, landing with a splash in the river before Nori hauled him up, where he clung to Nori's barrel for dear life.
"Well done, Mister Baggins," Thorin praised him.
Bilbo waved his hand in thanks, still spluttering for air. "We can go."
Thorin nodded. "Let's move out." With Bilbo still hanging onto Nori's barrel, the Company began to paddle with their hands, speeding their progress along the river out of the cavern and into the bright sunlight, revealing a waterfall in front of them. "Hold on!" Thorin shouted in warning as they plunged down the waterfall and over the rapids, where the current began to swiftly carry them down the river.
It was thrilling, for a moment. Being outside, with the sun beaming down on them after being locked up for so long, and riding the rapids like an amusement park ride without any seat-belts. Then an elvish horn sounded harshly, reminding them all that they were still in the middle of escaping.
Elena looked ahead of them to see a large bridge built across the river, with two guards standing at attention above it. One of them, as soon as he heard the horn, leapt to the middle and pulled a lever, bringing a sluice down the bridge and blocking their path to freedom.
"No!" Thorin shouted as his barrel slammed into the barricade, the others quickly following as elves began pouring from the woods onto the riverside surrounding them. But that wasn't the worst of it.
That came a moment later, when the elf pointing his sword at them suddenly fell over, a black arrow piercing his back.
"The orcs," Elena breathed in a horrified whisper. "I forgot about the orcs." She glanced up at the lever above them. It being pulled was their only chance at survival, but with the number of orcs swarming over it, and out of the bushes, it was likely that it would only be pulled at great risk.
She stared at it a moment, glancing over at Fíli, who was currently stabbing an orc that had leapt on his barrel, then back at the lever. Last time, Kíli had done it - and been shot with a poisoned arrow for his trouble. But he wasn't here, and all the others were busy defending themselves from the orcs.
She ducked as an orc came too close, then grit her teeth and pulled out one of her axes, hacking at it and grimacing as some of its blood landed on her face. Sheathing her axe temporarily, she clambered out of her barrel and onto the bridge, unsheathing her axes as an orc at the top growled at her. Dodging its first blow, she struck out with her axes and managed to score a glancing blow on its left arm, making it screech in pain before redoubling its efforts.
She heard a whistling sound behind her, and swung viciously at the orc, causing it to back off a few steps before she swung around to see an orc fall to the ground, one of Fíli's knives in its head, and a spear in its hand.
She nodded in thanks to him, but he just scowled at her, clearly not happy about her brilliant idea to go for the lever, before reluctantly refocusing his attention on another orc. She turned back to her own enemy, throwing her head backwards as a knife whistled over it before snapping back upright and slicing at its chest, causing it to stagger.
She cried out as it managed to score a gash of its own on her arm, but took the opportunity of it coming closer and swung upwards with her axe as she fell backwards. She hit the ground with a grunt, it falling on top of her with her axe embedded in its jaw. She pushed it off of her, then scrambled to her feet, eyes on the vital lever.
"Elena!" She spun around at Fíli's shout, and saw Bolg, arrow aimed right at her.
And she froze. She couldn't help but watch as the arrow shot directly towards her chest, heard Bilbo and Fíli shout her name. But then she snapped out of it and turned around, knowing that her back presented just as much of a target as her chest did. But if she didn't pull that lever, then the dwarves would die here, and Middle Earth would fall.
She lunged for it - and missed - right as the arrow sliced through her arm.
The burning started small, then turned into a raging fire of pain as it began to spread. She dropped to her knees, hearing Fíli's cry of denial and Bilbo's shout of rage, fearing the worst. She heard Dwalin shout her name angrily, felt the cool stone of the bridge beneath her hands as she struggled beneath that burning. But underneath it all, she knew. The lever had not been pulled. Her friends, her family, were still in danger.
So she struggled onto her hands and knees, gasping for breath as her arm burned as she placed weight on it. But she fought the temptation to give up, placed hands slick with blood around the lever, and pulled it with all her might before falling back to the ground in exhaustion, content in the knowledge that she had succeeded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: My heart and prayers go out to the victims of the tragedy in Florida last week. It's heartbreaking that such things still happen, but hopefully we can prevent such things from happening again.
No, I didn't kill Elena off. I thought about it, but I promised that no one would die until somewhere around Erebor/Lake-town. So, she'll still be around next chapter. :)
A special thanks to everyone who's voted and followed, I'm always glad to see that people like my story. :)
Mell hên : Beloved child
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! :)
General Disclaimer: I don't own the Hobbit, just Celia and Elena.